President Clinton attended Game Two of the Sabres-
Capitals Eastern Conference finals on Monday night at the
MCI Center, according to Liz Clarke of the WASHINGTON POST.
It marked the first time a sitting U.S. president had
attended an NHL game. Clinton watched from the suite of
Capitals Owner Abe Pollin and was joined by Vice President
Al Gore, U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY), HUD
Secretary Andrew Cuomo and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
Clinton spent the first period in his seat in the open-air
suite and then spent "much of the second period" inside the
owner's box (WASHINGTON POST, 5/26). During the second
intermission, Clinton was interviewed by ESPN's Brian
Hayward. Clinton, on the game: "Well first of all, it's
much more exciting in person, even, than on television -- no
offense to ESPN. I watch hockey when you show it. ... I'm
having the time of my life. I love this" (NHL).
NUMBERS: Through the conference semifinal round, the
league had averaged 18,216 fans per game, playing to 99.2%
capacity, which is up slightly from last year (NHL). On
"The Sports Reporters," ESPN's Bob Ryan, asked if hockey is
still a major sport: "The issue here is television ratings.
It's not the sport. They have 90-X percent capacity filled
every year [in] their arenas ... but it doesn't translate
well to TV." ESPN's Mike Lupica, asked if a sport is "dead"
if it doesn't translate well to TV: "I don't think so. ...
[W]hen you go to see this sport still ... it's a fabulous
sport" ("The Sports Reporters," ESPN, 5/24).
CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM: In N.Y., Joe Lapointe, under
the header, "Winter Game, Spring Identity Crisis," writes
that Bettman and company need to "realistically address a
few critical problems" over the off-season. Among those
listed: "Shortening the season"; "Getting serious about rule
changes"; "Accepting Constructive Criticism" and "Fixing the
Fox Problem." He writes that ratings may be down because of
the "bizarre, low-ice camera angles" that Fox has "actually
increased in recent weeks. A sport thought difficult to
televise does not become more telegenic when directors make
it even harder to follow" (Joe Lapointe, N.Y. TIMES, 5/27).
JACOBS' LEDGER: Bruins Owner Jeremy Jacobs, on player
salaries and the free agent market: "I think the market is
way out of line because of some stupid things that have been
done with some of these contracts. ... There are a lot of
idiots out there, so you never know what is going to happen.
Look at the Rangers and their payroll -- and they didn't
even make the playoffs." Jacobs also cited contracts given
out by the Canucks and Penguins and added, "Money is not
always the answer" (Will McDonough, BOSTON GLOBE, 5/23).
